Israeli Man Dies of Wounds Suffered in West Bank Stabbing

During US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to al-Quds last month, Netanyahu reportedly demanded worldwide recognition of major Israeli settlement blocs in the West Bank in exchange for easing tensions against the Palestinians.

Isaac Herzog, an MP and opposition leader in Israel, criticised it as a bid to “muzzle” critics.

It would also require staff from those organizations to wear a special badge when visiting parliament, similar to the policy for lobbyists.

In November 2012, following the Palestinian upgrade to a non-member state status at the United Nations, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that new homes would be constructed in the E1 area, as well as other parts of the West Bank.

The so-called transparency bill, sponsored by the justice minister, Ayelet Shaked, requires organisations to provide details of the countries funding their activities in any communication with elected officials, imposing a 29,000 shekel (£5,000) fine on any who fail to do so.

While interactions between Palestinian security and Israeli military forces are not rare, the schism marked the first time in years when Palestinian police removed Israeli soldiers from a city in the West Bank. They say the measure is a blatant attempt to stifle government critics.

The main modern Orthodox rabbinical group in the United States expressed its “outrage” over a video that shows Jewish revelers at a wedding celebrating the murder of three Palestinians in a West Bank firebombing.

Ms Shaked said the “transparency Bill” aimed to stop foreign-funded NGOs spreading “lies” about Israel: “The blatant interference of foreign governments in internal matters of Israel with money is an unprecedented, widespread phenomenon that violates all rules and norms in relations between democratic countries”.

“Why do you try to change us from within? Such behavior is halachically and morally repulsive and an ethical stain on the good name of Judaism and the State of Israel”, the fellowship said in its statement.

The two men approached a group of Israeli soldiers and began stabbing one of the soldiers in the face, the Haaretz news organization reported. Authorities said that attacks by Palestinians, mostly stabbings and shootings, have killed 20 Israelis, while Israeli fire has killed 124 Palestinians, 85 of whom are believed to be attackers. In October, Israel began withholding the bodies of suspected attackers as a tactic to crack down on the violence.

US-backed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel collapsed in April 2014 amid bitter mutual recriminations. The Palestinians say it is rooted in frustrations stemming from almost five decades of Israeli occupation.